this output has three parts: (1) teams listed by RATING top-to-bottom&nbsp (2) DIVISION AVERAGES&nbsp (listed top-to-bottom & by conference)&nbsp (3) teams listed by DIVISION&nbsp (listed in order within divisions)

The SCHEDULE ratings represent the average schedule difficulty facedby each team in the games that it's played so far. The scheduledifficulty of a given game takes into account the rating of theopponent and the location of the game.

To make predictions for upcoming games, simply compare the RATINGS ofthe teams in question and allow an ADDITIONAL .25 goals for the hometeam. Thus, for example, a HOME team with a rating of 4.43 would befavored by .57 goals over a VISITING team having a rating of 4.11Or a VISITING team with a rating of 4.56 would be favored by .42 goalsover a HOME team having a rating of 3.89

NOTE: Use whatever home advantage is listed in the output below.&nbsp In the example just above, a home edge of .25 was shown for&nbsp illustrative purposes. The home edge will vary during the season.

The numbers to the right of a team's schedule strength are its rank ofschedule - (in parentheses) - and its record versus teams in theserating's CURRENT top 10&nbspand CURRENT top 16&nbsprespectively.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In ELO CHESS, only winning&nbspand losing&nbspmatters; the score margin&nbspis of no consequence,which makes it very "politically correct". However it is less accurate&nbspin its predictions&nbspforupcoming games&nbspthan is the PURE POINTS, in which the score margin&nbspis the only thing&nbspthat matters.PURE POINTS&nbspis also known as PREDICTOR, BALLANTINE, RHEINGOLD, WHITE OWL&nbspand is the best single PREDICTORof future games.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The overall RATING&nbspis a synthesis&nbspof the two diametrical opposites, ELO CHESS&nbspand PURE POINTS (PREDICTOR).

Divisional Rankings

There are two group ratings, the "central mean"&nbspand the"simple average"&nbsp(also known as the "arithmetic mean")The "central mean"&nbspgives the most weight to the middle team(s)in the group and progressively less weight to teams as you goaway from the middle in either direction, up or down.

This tends to smooth out the effect of anomalous teams that are ratedmuch higher and lower than the middle team(s) in the group. The"simple average" ("arithmetic mean")&nbspweights each team equallyno matter where they are relative to the middle.

Here are a few examples of how the "central mean"&nbspis computed.&nbsp 4-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-2-1&nbsp 5-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-2-1&nbsp 6-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-3-2-1&nbsp 7-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-3-2-1&nbsp 8-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1&nbsp 9-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1&nbsp10-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-5-4-3-2-1&nbsp11-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1&nbsp12-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-6-5-4-3-2-1&nbsp13-team group ___ the weights are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2-1This is in a sense the continuous version of the discrete "tri-mean".